2023 Summer Leadership Conference

August 4-6

New England Laborers' Training Center
10 Murdock Rd, Pomfret Center, CT 06259

Build your leadership skills and strengthen our union at this overnight conference!

This training experience is intended to build more member engagement, generate more active members, and to continue to develop union leaders. We also plan to prepare potential and current leaders with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to lead relevant, thriving unions and to lead in their professions.

Agenda

Friday, August 4

3:00-5:00pmCheck-in and Registration
5:30pmWelcome Remarks and Dinner
Val Lawson, Amy Mullen, Mary Barden
6:30pmReception

Saturday, August 5

8:00-9:00amBreakfast
9:00amOpening Session:
The Leadership Journey

We all bring unique skills and perspectives to our workplace and unions. In this session we will explore our understanding of what leadership is and assess our strengths and the areas where we want to grow as leaders. We will discuss union leadership roles and creative structures to distribute leadership across the organization.

10:30amMorning Breakout Sessions (select one)


Membership Matters
Our power as a union relies on the members who make up our organization. This breakout session will focus on how we build and maintain a culture of membership growth, retention, and engagement. We will share resources and tools for ensuring union density and power.


Building Bridges, Building Power
Building community alliances is crucial for our local unions. This breakout session will cover strategic mapping of power and stakeholders in your community, how to build relationships with other organizations, working with parent organizations and labor solidarity.
12:00pmLunch
1:15pm

Afternoon Breakout I Sessions (select one)

Union Leaders Communication 101
Effective tools and strategies for internal and external communication for your local and communities.

Working Through Conflict and Difficult Conversations
This session will help you understand the basics of conflict resolution and how to navigate difficult personalities and tough conversations. Through interactive discussions and exercises, we will brainstorm together and find ways to work through the hardest moments of union leadership.

2:45pmBreak
3:00pmAfternoon Breakout II Sessions (select one)

Navigating Elected Officials and Policy at the Local and State Level
TBD

Building and Developing Your Team
This breakout session will help you to gain a deeper awareness of ways to build relationships with your union colleagues who are or have the potential to be leaders with you. We will discuss how to continue to invest in yourself and others, time management, developing your local’s leadership “bench,” and supporting all members to engage with their union.

4:30pmBreak
5:30pmDinner
7:00pm

Activity

Sunday, August 6

8:00-9:00amBreakfast
9:00amKeynote Speaker
10:30amBreak
10:45amGeneral Session

Creating a Wellness Culture in Professions Primed for Burnout

12:00pmClosing Remarks, Raffle, Boxed Lunch